TRANSFORMATION – WALTER WALL

Walter Wall’s painterly alchemy captures something on the move, evolving, shifting, blooming- the paintings fluctuate. The contrast between an almost other-worldly colour palette and his paint splatters and strokes that explore gestural marks, creates a portal to something magical yet known.

We are thrilled to welcome Walter to the gallery and though we have attempted an introduction to his work above, we believe that his poetic explanation of his work speaks best:

“Even though it was the third time in the week, I’d still been caught by surprise. Turning the corner I’d suddenly got full exposure. I had the whole expanse in front of me. It was breath-taking and I was stunned by its drama. Large dark purply grey crumply masses hung low with vibrant fluorescent pink edging, tufts of fluffy rich pinks effortlessly floated, whispy strands of soft greying pink flew high, and numerous lines, some white, sharp, strong and short, some tapering and others broad thinning peachy yellowing grey wove and disappeared behind the different layers. All this in front of a blue that was deep and rich but fading to the west. It didn’t last long and as I stood there it transformed into a series of different colour compositions.

The moments when light turns dark are generally called dusk but on these occasions they’re called sunsets. This doesn’t mean that I’m oblivious to the other days or dusks when heavy, dull, grey clouds become black night or when the mist never lifts and yellowy grey changes to wet darkness. However such events can be a source of inspiration.

The basic ingredients are more or less constant: air, light and water vapour. But there are agents of change which impact on the resultant sunset. The variation in temperature affecting the quantity of water vapour and strength of the winds. The effect of wind on the shape of the clouds. The air quality and level of light affecting the colour and luminance. They generate an infinite variety of effect that can stimulate a vast range of responses. Surprise to indifference, exhilaration or just simple pleasure.

It’s this analogy, the idea that basic ingredients can be transformed into compositions of stunning drama, rich complexity or subtle simplicity by the processes used that engaged me.

So now when I paint I explore processes with basic ingredients to create a diverse range of effect. Not to recreate the impression or image of a sunset or to tell a story of what happened at sunset but to generate effects that, even using the familiar, may create the unexpected, cause surprise, exhilaration or simple pleasure.